Black Forest Academy striker Lily Shkoza shoots agaisnt Marymount during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
REICHENBACH-STEEGEN, Germany — Black Forest Academy’s Esther Lee admitted that the seedings for the 2026 DODEA European soccer championships served as a source of motivation.
Despite faring well against a mostly Division I schedule, the Falcons received the sixth seed in Division II.
That didn’t sit well.
“‘Yeah, we have to prove them wrong. We can’t argue: We have to show them that we don’t belong as the sixth seed,’” Lee said.
On Monday at the grass field of VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany, the Falcons disproved their low seed.
In a wacky and wild 2026 DODEA Division II girls soccer tournament, BFA went 2-0 on the day, beating eighth-seeded Marymount 7-0 and followed that with an upset of third-seeded Vicenza 2-0.
After one day of action, only BFA (5-2-1) has clinched a spot in the semifinals. Five other teams — Vicenza and American Overseas School of Rome in Pool B and Naples, Rota and Aviano in Pool A — are fighting for the final three spots.
AOSR, the Admirals and the Wildcats picked up four points via a win and a draw on the day; the Saints got three with a 2-0 victory over Sigonella; and the Cougars got a point via a 3-3 tie with AOSR in which the Falcons came back from a three-goal halftime deficit.
“Today was very competitive, very hard for us,” AOSR junior Sara Morales said. “This tournament has probably been my best.”
For BFA, the big moments came against the Cougars, an opponent the Falcons drew 2-2 when the squads played each on May 9.
In the first half, BFA striker Lily Shkoza gave her team the lead. And the Falcons seemed in control until the last 10 minutes, when Vicenza (5-2-3) pressed for an equalizer.
The Cougars nearly got it when Abby Wells got the ball right in front of net in the closing seconds. BFA goalkeeper Eden Miller managed to block the shot from point-blank range, and her teammates counterattacked, with Olivia Wilson scoring on the contest’s last play.
“(Giving up a goal) could have changed the whole game,” Lee said of Miller’s save. “That’s awesome from her, and I’m really proud of her.”
That result capped off a rough day for the Cougars, who enjoyed a 3-0 halftime lead in the early match against the mid-sized tier’s other Falcons from Rome. Junior striker Natalia Lopez scored a brace, while Wells added the team’s third.
AOSR recovered in the second half, though, with Eva Olivieri giving them life and Morales adding a pair of goals herself.
That performance had AOSR (7-2-1) flying high into the last contest of the day against seventh-seeded Marymount. The Royals stood strong for more than 30 minutes in front of goalkeeper Madeline Cucchi, and the Falcons eked out during a 3-0 victory.
Morales opened the scoring in the opening minutes of the second half, Isabella Santos doubled the lead and Olivieri sealed the 3-0 victory late.
“We were very nervous (at halftime), but we know if we focus and be a team and communicate, we can do our best and we beat them,” Morales said.
“(The goal) gave confidence to the whole team and makes them calm down.”
AOSR needs at least a point against BFA in both squads’ pool-play finale to advance to the semifinals. Vicenza, meanwhile, must beat Sigonella, have AOSR lose to BFA and have a better goal differential to qualify.
Pool A was thrown into doubt after Naples and Rota began the tournament with a 0-0 tie. The Admirals (3-3-3) celebrated as though it was a win as they held the Wildcats (8-0-1) without a major goal-scoring opportunity.
“We definitely put a lot of energy into that, and a lot of planning went into it,” Rota senior Jourdan Timmons said. “Clearly, it paid off because we were able to shut out (Naples).”
But that turned both teams’ next matches into a race to see which one could score the most goals. Naples responded with a 4-0 win over Sigonella behind goals from captain Amalia Selph with a header off a corner, Georgia July and captain Sonia Gottlieb, the latter of whom converted a penalty.
“We knew we needed to score a lot of goals (vs. Sigonella) so that we could really keep up with Rota and their games,” Selph said. “The draw really motivated us to really be powerful in our offense.”
Rota, meanwhile, used a Timmons hat-trick to erase an early one-goal deficit vs. Aviano to win 3-1.
Next up for the Wildcats are the Saints, who also could advance with a win. The Admirals get Sigonella, and Timmons said the game plan will look more like the match against Aviano than the one against Naples.
“In this upcoming game against Sig, we need to change more offensively like we did against Aviano,” Timmons said. “Just keep more pressure on offense but also maintain our defense.”
Naples captain Amalia Selph heads a corner during pool-play action against Sigonella on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount center back Katia Chen beats goalkeeper Madeline Cucchi, left, and American Overseas School of Rome junior Sara Morales, center left, during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome goalkeeper Hailey Carballo reaches a ball ahead of Vicenza striker Abby Wells during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza striker Abby Wells holds off a challenge from Black Forest Academy defender Sierra Tweedy during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Rota defender Torianna Clayton controls the ball during pool-play action against Naples on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella midfielder Madison Hoy dribbles past Naples defender Claire Story during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano defender Elena Young boots the ball forward while teammate Bella Parker, center, and Sigonella forward Ximena Melara watch during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy striker Lily Shkoza shoots against Marymount during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Naples captain Amalia Selph heads a corner during pool-play action against Sigonella on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount center back Katia Chen beats goalkeeper Madeline Cucchi, left, and American Overseas School of Rome junior Sara Morales, center left, during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza striker Abby Wells holds off a challenge from Black Forest Academy defender Sierra Tweedy during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Rota defender Torianna Clayton controls the ball during pool-play action against Naples on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella midfielder Madison Hoy dribbles past Naples defender Claire Story during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano defender Elena Young boots the ball forward while teammate Bella Parker, center, and Sigonella forward Ximena Melara watch during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Most teams wilt when down a man in a match. But Rota isn’t like most teams.
The Admirals lost a player due to a red card in the first half against Vicenza and trailed by two goals midway through the second half. A Cougar red card made it 10-v-10, and Rota took advantage to complete the comeback in a 2-2 draw.
Sophomore forward Maddux Johnson got Rota (3-3-3) on the board after the Admirals hit the woodwork twice, and then fellow sophomore Gabe Parker scored the equalizer through a cross by Leo McFarland that bounced off a Vicenza defender and then ricocheted off the forward’s chest.
“We’ve gone through a lot of adversity this season,” Parker said. “We’ve lost a lot of players, and that’s pushed us and built to be able to (come back) like that.”
Combined with a 5-0 win over Sigonella in the tournament’s opener, the Admirals have a chance to advance to the semifinals.
They end pool play Tuesday with top-seeded AOSR, which defeated the Cougars 3-0 and the Jaguars 6-0. The Falcons already have clinched their tickets into the knockout rounds.
For all the excitement that the semifinals could bring, just meaningful soccer on the second day of the tournament is special.
“It’s finally nice to be able to compete,” Parker said. “We have a feeling that we can get to semis and maybe even more.”
Marymount sits atop the other pool with six points after 3-0 and 3-1 victories over Naples and BFA. Aviano has three points thanks to a 1-0 win over BFA, while Naples battered the Saints in the last match of the day 6-1 to have three as well.
The Wildcats face the Falcons, who still could advance, while the Royals have the Saints.
Rota forward Gabe Parker celebrates with midfielder Leo McFarland after scoring the equalizer against Vicenza during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome striker Colin Moore shoots between Vicenza defenders Kyler Mukai, center left, and Daniel Lohr, right, during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza goalkeeper Cristian Rodriguez dives for a centering pass from American Overseas School of Rome winger Leone Maggi during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella defender Will Thompson and Rota forward Maddux Johnson swing at a ball in the air during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano midfielder Toby Canales converts a penalty against Black Forest Academy during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Marymount striker Federico Pipitone tries to dribble around Naples left back Nathan Mellor during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Naples goalkeeper Domenico Guida corrals a ball against Marymount during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Black Forest Academy forward Jonathan Li and Aviano defender Adrian Perez jump for a ball during pool-play action on the first day of the 2026 DODEA Division II European soccer championships on May 18, 2026, at VfB Reichenbach in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
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